Riding in the Peak District

I took part in an amazing three-day riding challenge in the Peak District, organised by Simple Cycle Tours. The challenge was all road-based, and as the first day's riding started at 1pm I headed up early to Castleton and had an off-road blast on the bridleways, using my cyclo-cross bike. It turns out that Derbyshire bridleways are a bit steeper than Norfolk ones, and I found myself pushing/carrying the bike (up and down hills) far more than I was used to. Here's a video of me riding in the lanes and trails:

Here is the off-road route I took:

Bridleways of the Peaks

Ride on 2016-06-10 09:24:41, at

Gear: Specialized Crux Elite

19km in 1:22:48

Average speed13.8 kmh
Max speed48.6 kmh
Average heart rate142 bpm
Average power151 Watts
Calories207
Elevation gain715 metres

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The challenge itself was great fun, and there were around 20 of us enjoying great company, food, bag carrying and on-road mechanical support. Mechanic Craig's pre-ride bike checks were essential, as the arduous climbs and vicious descents required fully functional gearing, brakes and tyres. We also had to be prepared for bad weather, and here's a video from day 3 (on the Sunday) showing how much standing water there was:

Here are the three days of riding:

Peaks 175, day 1

Ride on 2016-06-10 12:31:45, at

Gear: Ridley Noah (Ridley Noah 1303am)

78km in 2:51:26

Average speed27.2 kmh
Max speed57.6 kmh
Average heart rate138 bpm
Average power187 Watts
Calories527
Elevation gain1472 metres

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Peaks 175 day 2: Castleton to Hartington

Ride on 2016-06-11 08:35:13, at

Gear: Ridley Noah (Ridley Noah 1303am)

109km in 4:00:40

Average speed27.2 kmh
Max speed61.6 kmh
Average heart rate129 bpm
Average power175 Watts
Calories694
Elevation gain1749 metres

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Peaks175 day 3: Hartington to Castleton

Ride on 2016-06-12 08:43:12, at

Gear: Ridley Noah (Ridley Noah 1303am)

92km in 3:18:18

Average speed28.0 kmh
Max speed64.4 kmh
Average heart rate129 bpm
Average power187 Watts
Calories613
Elevation gain1580 metres

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About the author

My name is John Swindells and I'm a keen recreational cyclist with a preference for long one-day rides. I've also previously dabbled in time trialling and cyclo-cross. See more of what I get up to on Strava!

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